Of Leaves and Scars
by SignedSealedWritten
Summary: Before Bella's first visit to the Cullen house, Alice and Jasper have a conversation in the tree-tops. Fluff, Angst, One-Shot.


**Of Leaves and Scars**

The crisp green leaves on the old oak tree danced in the wind. The same wind played with the hair of the old oak's two inhabitants, swirling about and tugging on their clothes. The seer and empath sat on one of the highest branches, a favorite spot of the couple. It was their sanctuary; a place just slightly away from the rest of the family.

The inky haired vampire reached upwards to grasp a leaf above her; her fingers fell just short of the leaf's edge. She pouted, furrowing her brow. Alice wriggled out of her lover's arm and stood gracefully on the thick, sturdy branch. A laugh bubbled from her lips as she watched the leaf.

"Alice-" The blonde haired vampire said in a warning sort of way, golden eyes gazing upwards at the tiny figure who stood upright.

With laughter in her eyes, she glanced the few inches down towards him. "Jasper Whitlock Hale, are you afraid that I'm going to fall?" She teased, ocher eyes twinkling.

"No. _No_, I just …" His eyes looked down guiltily. "It's just …"

"You _are_!" She exclaimed, pushing his shoulder gently. Never the less, she sat down next to him again, feet swinging below her like a child whose feet did not yet hit the ground.

In a silent way, she held out the leaf to the sun, watching the light as it danced through and played on their skin. Alice turned it this way and that, smiling as if she'd made a brilliant discovery. All this time he watched her, spell-bound, amazed at her joy in the simplest of things. How did she become so transfixed on these things? The light twinkled off of her skin, and, to him, she looked nothing less than ethereal. The stark contrast between her inky hair and snow white skin made her look like an ice sculpture; his own little angel of ice, snow, and ink.

"Look at this, Jazz." She held it out in front of him. "It's so _pretty_." She traced the network of veins flowing through the large leaf, letting the sunlight peak through the hole a bug had made there recently. He chuckled once, lips turning upward in a smile.

"What?" She asked, offense running through her wind chime voice. 'What's so funny/" One hand rested on her tiny waist. "Hmm?" She insisted.

Realizing by her feelings of betrayal and embarrassment that he'd hurt her feelings, he placed his hand on her back. "Al, that's not how I meant it. That leaf is almost bigger than you, that's all." Gently, he brushed his lips against her temple, and her eyelids fluttered. "You were merely being adorable." He laughed again, ruffling her hair. Quickly, she ducked out from under his hand and stuck out her pink tongue playfully. For a moment, the seer's eyes appeared to be seeing nothing, and then they were back. She turned ocher eyes on her lover, who waited patiently for her return.

"She'll be here soon, you know."

His jaw clenched. "Alice, I don't know if –"

"You'll be fine." She murmured. The pixie slid over, closer to him. She placed a kiss on his upper arm and placed her hand on his chest. "I promise." She moved her hand to his cheek, forcing him to meet her gaze. "You're not going to hurt her."

He shook his head. "That may or may not be true, Alice, but when she sees me… Alice, you're used to them."

Surprised, she let the leaf flutter to the ground; it hit with the faintest sound of crinkling paper, scraping against the forest floor.

"Oh, _Jazz_." She held her hands on either side of his face. "If _that's_ what you're worried about, she won't even be able to see them. You know that." She rubbed her thumb along his temple.

"But if she could,"

"She wouldn't _care_." She might be omnipotent, but she didn't know that. It was merely something she'd said to calm him – but also something that she knew as true, just from knowing Isabella Swan. "She'll be our sister one day." She mentioned. Alice slung her arms over his shoulders; their noses were almost touching.

His voice was low. "We're going to fall from this branch."

"And if we do?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Then…" He blinked. "We'll get our clothes dirty." But the Cullen brother barely got the words out before their lips were locked; his words void. What was dirt, anyway? Her hands were knitted through his hair when they heard the doorbell ring.

They pulled back, foreheads rested against each other.

"Well." She said, forehead still against his. "I believe it's time."

Together, they rose, her before him, hand trailing behind her, and entered through the window to the next stages of their lives.

Finis

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you enjoyed: please review**

**Dedicated to Agni; the trees are the limits. **

**And to the Culacks; family is win. **


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